The control of temperature and the control of chemical environment of isolated or whole parts of the human body have wide applications in clinical medicine. The methods which are currently employed are cumbersome, have inadequate control over the heat flow and the rates of cooling and heating. Both the thermal and chemical environment control devices which are presently available have serious limitations in their ability to restrict the treatment to localized areas. Among the devices currently employed are electrical heating blankets and pads, fluid immersion baths, ice packs, and cooling mattresses. All of these devices suffer from the above-mentioned shortcomings.
The intimate and effective control of topical environments is needed in many areas of clinical medicine including the following: arthritis and related muscular-skeletal disorders, treatment of burns and wounds and of generalized skin eruptions. Topical rapid rate cooling of selected areas prior to operation affords greater ease and precision in the performance of the operation process. This rate of change at the cooling, heating and contacting with material is greatly enhanced has the means of producing turbulence a mechanism which posses an important part of this invention. The rapid rate of cooling also inhibits damaging or undesirable metabolic processes and is expected to limit damage in cerebrovascular incidents. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide effective means for the described and needed topical environmental controls.
The present invention provides detailed and predetermined control of physical and chemical properties of localized topical environments including the following: heating, cooling and fluctuation thereof, including rapid changes in rate and in quantities of heat transferred; pressure and vibration control including ultrasonic applications; control of atmospheric conditions including atmospheric composition, humidity and chemical mist concentration; circulating liquid baths and their physical and chemical properties; turbulence forming means which are impellers or obstacles are introduced into the path of the fluid creating a turbulent flow which greatly increases cooling and heating rates, and exchanges of material between the contacted body tissues and the moving fluid chemical medication of the body surfaces and absorption of medication by the said surfaces including electrophoretic means of absorption. Provisions are included for an effective sterilization of the circulating fluids and for the introduction or removal of the components of the said fluids during the operating cycles.